Of Hope and Destruction (Rewrite)
by Everon Prime
Summary: When you carry the hopes of others upon your shoulders, it's only a matter of time before you meet your own destruction.
1. A Beginning Till the End

_**Author's Notes: READ THIS.**_

**Okay, so as of late (like since before I finished this story) I have been bothered by many bits of my story, from grammar to plot holes, to parts that I knew was rough because I completely changed my plot direction at this point.**

**So, now that I have a set and unchanging direction in **_**Chasing Shadows of Angels**_**, I am now going to start rewriting this story.**

**Yes, rewrite it. My ideas of editing it have been thrown out the window because the original makes me cringe at times.**

**So, without further ado, here is my rewrite. ENJOY~!**

**P.S.- These stories are going to be started by songs that either feel relevant to the story or gave me inspiration for the chapter. But, like in the sequel, the first chapter shall be opened by a poem.**

**Also, I'm going to set up links to the songs for each chapter on my profile. (hopefully) I would love if you listen before or while you read the chapter~!**

**Now we can get to the story. v_v**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers. Only my OC, Everon Prime, and possibly others later on.**

**Beta Reader: The wonderful Mist-Howler~! (who actually survived reading through the first copy of this and followed through to the sequel XD)**

* * *

_Bleed me out  
__You know me  
__I'll just pretend  
__I like to bleed_

_Drag me through  
__All your dirt  
__Well, that's all right  
__I like to hurt_

_Broken, lost  
__For your gain  
__It's only death, love  
__It's only pain_

_Author Unknown_

* * *

The day was gorgeous. Perfect and serene; one that might have been a wonderful memory to look back onto, had everything not gone to the Pit.

Who could have predicted how that day would turn, how everything would change? Who could have known that my already strange life was about to grow more complicated than I ever would have imagined?

Who knew that this was the start of the last few months of my life?

You are probably confused by this point, and you should be. Basically, what you should take from this is that not all stories have a happy ending. My human life shall be short lived, yet it will be the focal point of everything. I live my life for those around me. I live for my friends, my family, for the hope of peace. I live for others, but not for myself. Unfortunately, my life draws destruction in my wake. While I inspire hope, I can never see anything but the destruction.

I know much of hope and destruction.

* * *

_The void was blank: no walls, no ground, nothing. All that I see is the white, the absence of color. The Nothingness. The silence envelops me as I float along, and I wonder vaguely if I'm dead. But at this point, I suddenly gain traction and find myself standing on some unseen, newly formed ground._

_ And that's when I hear the sound. _

_ The flutter of wings._

_ "You have such poor timing, girl." I spin around, and immediately I see a shadowy figure off in the distance._

_ "Who are you?" I demand. "Where am I? What's going on?"_

_ She makes a sound of disdain before answering me. "I'm not going to bother telling you something that you will forget as soon as you wake." Okay, she sort of answered me…_

_ "Wake?" I ask. "You mean this is a dream?"_

_ "A dream…" She then laughed, a low sort of seductive sound. "My dear, a dream is something that works in your subconscious mind, something that you have already left for here."_

_ I'm utterly confused by this point. "Where is here?"_

_**Ev.**_

_ Spinning on heel, I look behind for the familiar voice. "Where did that come from?"_

_**Ev.**_

_ I look back to the figure, and I can make out more features, though she is distant. I can see her shape, her arms and legs, and her eyes: they were two silvery glowing optics. And spreading from her back was a pair of long, shadowed wings. "What's going on?"_

_ With a sadistic tone, she says, "Time to wake up, my little girl."_

**Everon!**

* * *

Jumping up in my seat, I yelled, "For Primus sake, what the frag, Cliff?"

My only response was a deep and joyous laugh from the dash, followed by a feminine voice over the comm system. "Stop harassing the poor girl."

"Aww, but 'Cee, it's fun to make her jump." That was Cliffjumper. My best friend.

"Fun this," I responded, kicking the car dash in front of me.

"OW!" he yelled in response. "What was that for?!"

An unfeminine snort could be heard over the comm. "I think that's for you being an aft, Cliff."

"I feel bullied," he responded in a sulking tone. I glowered at the car's mirror before turning my attention to the window, watching the expansive scenery go by. The view was similar to my home in the desert, with rolling hills and few human buildings to interrupt the vast, natural landscape, but the main difference would have been the lush greenery that covered the ground and surrounding farmland.

And the sun wasn't near as beautiful as my desert sunset.

"Aww, c'mon Ev…" Cliff poked in his pouting voice. "Can't stay mad at me?... Right?"

A slight smile grew on my face, and I sighed. "Fine, I forgive you…"

Cliff had let out a whoop of happiness as Arcee chimed in over the radio. "You need to stop coddling him."

"I'd rather coddle him than deal with the pouting," I replied off-handedly.

"You two know I can hear you, right?" Both Arcee and I could now be heard laughing at Cliff. "Okay, just thought I'd check…"

"Aww, Cliff," I responded cheekily, leaning towards the driver seat to hug the steering wheel. "You know we love you!"

"Yeah, I am _certainly_ feeling the—" he was cut off, the sound of beeping coming from his dash. "Hold on, I'm getting a signal on my scanners."

At this point, you might want to be informed of the little oddities in this scene. For example: why I appear to talking to and interacting with a car. The answer? That is exactly what I am doing.

Because currently, the person talking to me was the car I was riding in.

My fingers had absently ran along the red stitched seams in his black leather seats, and I thought back to my early memories of riding along with him, curling in the passenger seat, listening to his voice until the sound and slight rumble of his purring engine lulled me to sleep.

I had always preferred his vehicle mode to the other Autobots. Built for speed, but not the modern, smooth curves like with Bumblebee. Cliffjumper's Charger form was more angular, his chrome horns on the front of his hood shining in the light. And I remembered the pride that swelled in my spark when I returned to find that the red streaks that had grown into my hair were the same shade as his crimson paint job.

Other than Cliffjumper, there was Arcee, the one involved in our conversation via the comm system, who was Cliffjumper's partner. She was also a ground vehicle, but a sports motorcycle versus Cliff's Charger car form. I could just imagine her blue bike form with pale pink accents driving down some deserted and dusty rode, her holoform, which she affectionately named Sadie, riding along with her. "Need backup?" she asked him eagerly, hints of excitement lacing her tone.

The two had been searching their respective quadrants for energon signals. Energon, the lifeblood for these two and the rest of the team, was hard to find on this planet. So while they often went on patrols, I had sometimes found myself tagging along.

That is, whenever I was _allowed_ to tag along…

"Do I ever need backup?" he responded in his normal, confident tone. "Besides, I have all the backup I need right here."

I felt my face light up, a Cheshire grin growing across it as I let his words sink in. Immediately jolting upright from my slumped position in his seat, I began to rake my long, wavy brown hair back from my face, the crimson red streaks showing through as I used his rearview mirror to make sure I caught all longer strands.

As to why I had red streaks, I could tell you that I dye my hair, as I told most humans, but honestly, the strange red was natural. Just like my pale skin, just like my thin and lean frame.

Just like the bright, silvery eyes that greet me in my reflection.

Checking my makeup, I began to take note of the outlandish, silver black shadows I used to create wings off the sides of my eyes, while the deep, blood red lip stick took a shade that was only a hint darker than my hair. Preening was something I couldn't help: a habit that I had picked up from a… friend of mine, one who was more obsessed with looks then I could ever be.

Arcee spoke up with a serious and pointed tone to Cliffjumper. "Be careful, especially with her. Prime will have your head, if something were to happen to Everon."

I rolled my eyes at the mention of the Prime. "Noted," Cliff responded, with a rare, serious tone to his voice. "And trust me, I will be just as protective, as always, with her. She will be perfectly safe."

I gave a sharp snort and responded with a bit of a clipped tone to the pair as I adjusted the bits of slightly shorter hair about my face, remnants growing out from when I had bangs. "'She' can still hear you two." A strand fell over my eyes, and I huffed in annoyance when it refused to cooperate. "And I am perfectly capable of handling myself."

Cliff just laughed as Arcee responded. "Of course you are. Just be safe." And with a slight tone, she added, "Both of you."

"Don't worry, 'Cee," Cliff responded in his normal confident tone, adjusting our course towards the energon deposit. "Everything will be just fine."

Oh, how I wish that had been true.

Soon, we swerved off road, and Cliff skidded to a stop next to a deep chasm. Peering over his dashboard, I had been greeted by the sight of a large collection of brilliantly blue shards, ones which I had grown very familiar with over my lifetime. "We just found a whole lot of energon," Cliff happily reported over the comm link. Just as he finished his statement, though, a dark shadow forms overhead.

All I could think to say was, "Scrap."

"Decepticons," Cliffjumper sneered. Immediately after, I could hear the familiar, tell-tale sounds of shifting metal. Soon, the confines of his car mode twisted and bent, pieces of armor moving and rearranging while I pulled my knees close to my chest—and thank Primus I wasn't buckled in. Within moments, I found myself sitting in a large, metallic hand, and my arms propped behind me to keep me sitting upright as I looked to Cliff's now visible face.

In his bipedal form, Cliffjumper was easily six times taller than me, maybe more. The crimson plating from his car form now covered him like armor, and his frame was thicker than most, sort of stocky representing what might have been a human who was solid muscle.

His front grill wrapped about his mid torso, leaving his frame to taper slightly beneath it, and his chest plates were made up of the top of his vehicle mode and his front windshield. A pair of tires resided in his hips, and his legs were sturdy, much like his thick forearms and shoulders, following the theme of an overly muscular form.

His face, though, was framed in angular pieces of his crimson armor, one piece tapered down the center his face where his nose would have been if he had one. My favorite feature had sat atop his helm: his shining chrome horns were now proudly displayed, the signature feature to his look.

"Cliff…" I say nervously, feeling the blood drain from my face as I look between him and the familiar vessel that loomed overhead, worry causing my body to shake ever so slightly. His gaze never faltered from the ship, the Nemesis, so I spoke a little more forcibly. "Cliff!"

"Run." The way he spoke, his words were but an almost inaudible whisper as he continued to stare above, his frame growing tenser as he slowly shifted to a fighting stance.

"What?" I ask, still dumbfounded and confused by what was happening, my brain refusing to process the situation.

He then practically threw me on the ground, sending me rolling away as he yelled, "Run!" I caught a glimpse of his panicked blue optics, and the worry and concern for me on his face haunted me through the rest of my days. Knowing nothing else to do, I did as told.

I ran.

And just as I was haunted by his face, I was haunted by my actions as well.

I felt like a coward to run, but what else could I have done? How could I, a human, have taken on a fully sized Decepticon? Not only was I ill-equipped, but honestly…I don't think I could ever have the spark to kill one.

Reaching the edge of the chasm, I slid behind some rocks, skidding along the ground before finally scrambling up them to peer over at Cliff. During this time, I could hear the loud blast of cannon fire, followed by the crashing of rocks and metal. Looking around the rocks I had pressed myself to, I could see Cliff standing down in the clearing as several Vehicons approached.

"Not good," I muttered as I took in the squadron, each armed and ready to fight. I knew Cliffjumper was skilled, but this… there were too many. Too many for one lone Autobot. Too many for my friend.

"Uh Arcee," Cliff suddenly said, obviously speaking into his comm link. "About that backup…" Her answer went unheard by me as I helplessly watched from the side.

I couldn't stand it. My mind was racing as I sat uselessly. I had to swallow all thoughts of running out and helping him. He would just end up having to try and rescue me from the Cons. I could do nothing but watch and hope.

"Fair warning boys," Cliffjumper drawled, retaking his stance. "I'll put a few dings in ya." Then, he sprung into action.

Transforming from his bipedal to vehicle mode, he took off, driving straight up the curved slope of the canyon and into the air. Shifting mid flight, he landed right in the middle of the Decepticon welcoming committee and moved straight into the fight. Cliff fought valiantly, taking one down easily, only to have two more seemingly to appearing its place. No matter how many he took down with his skill, I knew that it would not be enough in the long run.

_Where are the others? Cliff needs help now!_ I knew the answer. We were all currently scattered, searching for energon deposits. The feeling of helplessness and just watching the ensuing fight made the minutes seem to drag on even more.

Soon, Cliff lost his advantage. Their numbers were overwhelming his skill, and he was sent flying through the air. I saw his horn fly off to the side as he crashed right back down into the hole filled with energon. Managing to catch his footing, he announced to the ensuing enemy, "You want the horns? You got 'em." Then, his hands shifted into a pair of blasters, and with experienced movements, Cliff began to jump and dive from the enemies' fire as he shot right back at them.

Unfortunately, in the heat of battle, they all overlooked one crucial fact: Energon is an extremely volatile substance. With one stray shot from the enemy, the supply currently behind Cliffjumper ignited.

And the crater blew sky high.

Ducking down, I hid from the blast behind the rocks, my ears ringing from the sound and my body trembling from the violent shakes it sent through the ground. I only peaked my head out just in time to see a pair of troopers dragging Cliff from the site of the explosion. "No," I whispered, shock taking over any cognitive thought I had. "No, this can't happen. This can't be happening. No…" But it happened. And I just watched as they dragged away my brother. A sharp, distinct pain grew in my chest, and I just watched on.

Then, I grew numb.

I watched as they took my closest friend, as they dragged him aboard their ship. Immediately following the departure of the Nemesis, I could hear the faint sounds of a ground bridge opening. Then, I heard my name being called, over and over, the others trying to find me. But I just sat there.

Numb.

Someone spoke to me, words trying to coax me out of the rocks to them. But I couldn't go, wouldn't go. My mind just kept spinning, playing had happened over.

And over.

And over.

And it wouldn't stop, couldn't stop. My mind was twisting and breaking, the shock enveloping me, controlling me. Eventually, the voice gave up trying to coax me out. "Aww, kid…" Two overly large hands tried there best to scoop me up gently, and I didn't protest. I just let him carry me over to the others, calling out to them.

"Over here!" he yelled. "I found her!" The mech holding me was Bulkhead, the largest in our group as far as girth went, and only second by height. He was our powerhouse muscle, though the sweetest mech you could ever meet. Dark green armor covered him, headlights on his chest, and slight traits giving way to his jeep alt mode.

Soon, another mech was right at his side. "By the Allspark, is she injured Bulkhead?"

The large green mech was about to answer the mech, our medic, but I cut him off with a clipped, "I'm fine." My slumped and still form certainly said otherwise, but I didn't feel like explaining myself to them, couldn't explain myself to them.

Ratchet, our resident medic. Easily the oldest in the group, the white armored medic had bits of red along his form, such as the red pulse lines along his forearms. A red bit of metal also sat along what resembled a brow line, and another red piece of metal sat where a nose would be, much like Cliffjumper….

My silver eyes leveled with Ratchet, me feeling slowly more and more hollow. Ratchet, the one panicking over my condition, suddenly seemed hesitant, and he settled on slowly backing away, giving room for others to see me. I didn't look at any of them. How could I? After what happened to Cliff…

I heard a familiar beeping and whirring sound beside us. **"Ev, are you okay?"** Our scout, Bumblebee, whirred and beeped to me, his unique speaking voice drawing my attention to him and his large, expressive and blue optics.

The yellow and black mech was the youngest of the Autobots, and the only one I could genuinely never grow frustrated with. His doorframes stuck out of his back unlike the others, almost resembling wings, and his mouth was covered with a strange device, one Ratchet crafted to allow him to speak, his voice box being damaged long ago and left unrepairable.

I open my mouth to speak, but then, a sight behind the scout caught my attention. Arcee, the motorcycle Cliff and I were speaking to earlier, his _partner_, was approaching, cradling something in her servos like a lifeline. The blue femme was easily the shortest in the group, bits of pale pink on certain parts of her blue armor, including a tall point on the top center of her forehead. My voice caught in my throat, and a slight strangled cry comes out as I look at the horn she cradled in her hands.

The pain in my chest returned.

"I'm sorry," I choke out, looking deep into her pained optics as I wrap my arms about my chest, as if trying to hold myself together. Then, another, taller mech approached from behind her.

His optics were obviously upset as well as worried. Our leader, the tall and regal Prime, looked to his saddened soldier, kneeling next to her and resting a supportive hand on her shoulder. I watched the sun glint off of his red and blue armor, his mouth covered by a metal mouth guard. He slid it back before he looked to me, where I sat curled up and slightly shaking in Bulkhead's large palm. I met his gaze, and I felt the sharp pain in my chest worsen as the reality of the situation finally set in. The look in his optics confirmed everything I feared.

Cliff was dead.

Optimus Prime reached for me, and I merely curled more tightly in a ball, tucking my face into my knees. I couldn't face him, couldn't look to the worry and concern he showed to me. I was too ashamed from what happened, from not being able to help my brother, my best friend.

I was too ashamed to look at my father.

"I'm _so _sorry."

* * *

The sun was beautiful that day. The way it set along the desert, casting a warm golden glow on everything its light touched…. The view would have taken your breath away. I could remember sitting along this edge, staring off at the sun, Cliff amicably and animatedly talking next to me. I would smile and laugh, occasionally interjecting, but mostly I would bask in the view while he talked, he knowing that I was listening even though I never looked at him.

The view was perfect.

It was perfect, yet it felt so….hollow now.

My father, our leader, spoke behind me. This was Cliffjumper's funeral. Honoring his death, speaking words of wisdom, and just generally an excuse to stand around and be sad for the loss.

I _hated_ it.

"We must not allow our loss of Cliffjumper to impair our judgment," my father spoke in his loud and wisdom infused voice. I remember the feeling of my fingers slowly digging into my palms as I stood off to the side, near the edge, refusing to watch the proceedings but unable to leave. My gaze had just locked on the distant sun as it set beyond the horizon, willing it to take it with me.

"As of today, only we five Autobots remain on this Earth." I mentally scoffed at the tally. Such little numbers, such a huge task before us. The odds were and will forever be in the enemies favor, and I vaguely thought of how he had said five… I would never be counted…

"We owe it to ourselves, to the memory of Cybertron, to any Autobots in any galaxy seeking safe harbor, to human kind…" …I would never have been considered a true Autobot. Not in their views. I was a liability, a child, for now and until my short little human life was over.

And they continued on in this never-ending war.

By this point, Arcee had begun to step forward from the group, still clutching Cliffjumper's horn as she moved forward before she finally sat it on the ground, "…and we owe it to the memory of our fallen comrade, to survive." After she sat down the horn, Arcee turned to leave in a stoic fashion. "Arcee…"

"If Cliff's gone, standing around and sulking about it isn't going to bring him back," she snaps, her voice having shown hints of wanting so desperately to break, but she would never do that. She would never let herself break down. Not in front of Cliff, and certainly not in front of us. "So if any of you mind, I think I will go back to _protecting_ human kind." The bitterness seeped into her words as she marched away from the group.

"Wait."

It was the first time I had spoken since the incident. I could feel all of their optics on me, but I refused to meet any of their concerned gazes. I only had one gaze to catch. Stiffly turning and making my way to Arcee, I had merely looked at her. My mouth was set in a tense line, but my eyes…

I knew I was skilled at lying. At masking my true emotions. But when I wanted to, I could speak with just a look. With just a gaze.

Arcee gave me a silent nod, understanding my silent request. Shifting to her vehicle form, she idled while I strode forward, lifting one leg gracefully over the seat. My voice was hollow when spoke next, and I had leaned down against her as I gripped her handlebars tightly.

"Drive."

And drive we did, my hair flowing and whipping about my face as we rocketed off among the golden, sun kissed desert that surrounded us.

* * *

**And that ends the first chapter of my rewrite~! Please review and let me know what you think! I love critiques and your opinions!**


	2. Introductions

_**Author's Notes:**_

**Check out my profile for links to my opening songs!**

* * *

**Beta: The ever-so-patient and wonderful Mist-Howler~!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and weird plot lines. Sadly….**

* * *

_"Got a secret  
__Can you keep it?  
__Swear this one you'll save  
__Better lock it in your pocket  
__Taking this one to the grave  
__If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said  
__'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."_

_"Why do you smile like you've been told a secret?  
__Now you're telling lies 'cause you have sworn to keep it  
__But no one keeps a secret  
__No one keeps a secret."_

_"Why when do our darkest deeds do we tell?  
__They burn in our brains, become a living hell  
__Because everybody tells  
__Everybody tells_

_Got a secret  
__Can you keep it?  
__Swear this one you'll save  
__Better lock it in your pocket  
__Taking this one to the grave  
__If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said  
__'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead_

_Look into my eyes, now you're getting sleepy  
__Are you hypnotized by secrets that you're keeping?  
__I know what you're keeping  
__I know what you're keeping_

_Got a secret  
__Can you keep it?  
__Swear this one you'll save  
__Better lock it in your pocket  
__Taking this one to the grave  
__If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said  
__'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead_

_Allison?_

_Yes, Catherine?_

_I have something I want to tell you but you have to promise never to tell anyone._

_I promise._

_Do you swear on your life?_

_I swear on my life._

_You swore you'd never tell  
__You swore you'd never tell  
__You swore you'd never tell  
__You swore you'd never tell_

_Got a secret  
__Can you keep it?  
__Swear this one you'll save  
__Better lock it in your pocket  
__Taking this one to the grave  
__If I show you then I know you won't tell what I said  
__'Cause two can keep a secret if one of them is dead_

_Yes, two can keep a secret if one of them is dead  
__Yes, two can keep a secret if one of us is dead_

"_Secrets" by The Pierces_

* * *

The ride was silent, neither of us speaking, neither of us knowing what to say. Arcee and I may have been the only female groups in our little rag tag group, but we were far from being close. It's not that we didn't like each other; we each would give our sparks for the other. It's just that we only had one real tie to the other.

And now that tie was dead, and all we had in his place was silence.

She drove fast, faster then the others would ever be willing to take me. Except maybe Cliffjumper… The wind stung my eyes, me riding without a helmet, but I didn't dare complain. She needed the speed, and I needed the sting. We needed them to distract our thoughts, to funnel them away from losing him….

I hope she was having better luck than I was.

Eventually, the long, desert highway gave way to a slightly more populated area, signaling us that we had finally reached town. With no choice if we wanted to avoid being pulled over by authorities, Arcee slowed down, needing no prompting from me.

Breaking the silence, she asked, "So, Jack?"

I gave a sigh and nodded my head, simply responding, "Jack."

More silence enveloped us, and I felt her loosen on the controls to allow me to take control and steer us to the correct place. She had never met Jack before, let alone known where he worked. The main Bot who had driven me there had been….

I shook my head, then swiftly turn into a familiar fast food joint, parking right in front and pushing her kick stand down as she shut off her engine. With my fingers, I worked a few knots out of my hair, looking in Arcee's mirror as I tussled it a bit to make sure it looked decent.

"You sure you don't have a thing for this kid?"

I snorted at her comment. "I preen when I'm just sitting at the base with you Bots. Me fixing my hair now doesn't mean a thing." A sigh. "Besides, Jack is more of a brother to me then Cliffjumper…." My voice broke, and my gaze fell to the ground.

We both fall into silence, and I quickly composed myself as she moved to shift the topic. "So, I take it you will be spending the night at Jack's?"

"A night away from base would be good for me…" I responded, bottling my emotions.

"And we will pick you up after school tomorrow, right?..."

My gaze dropped back to the ground. I knew what she was implying with that tone. "Sure," I responded, but honestly, I had no idea.

Before she could continue, a familiar face stepped out of the burger joint in front of us. I could hear her cut off the sentence she was beginning, and I couldn't help but crack a small smile as I gazed at my oldest human friend, the one that might as well be my brother.

Jackson Darby was sixteen, like me, though he stood a few inches taller to my average height. Black, slightly shaggy hair sat atop his head, covered by the silly hat his job made him wear, which he was in the process of yanking off his head. Dressed in his usual attire, I can't help but mentally sigh over his simple muddy colored shirt over a gray long-sleeved under shirt. His worn in jeans may have looked like the kind that you would buy to look that way, but I knew that the stressed look came from him working all the time.

Leaning forward on Arcee, I propped my chin in one hand and draped the other casually over her handlebars.

"So, how's the life of the working class?"

Dark brown eyes darted up to meet my silver ones, and a grin slowly formed on his face while I smirked from my seated position as he rushed up to me. "Whoa! Where did you get that?" Just as he reached me, staring at Arcee, he suddenly jerked his head up. "Please tell me you didn't steal it."

With a roll of my eyes, I moved to get off the bike, securing the kickstand and giving an exaggerated flourish of my leg as I stepped off. "Ha, ha. Very funny." My voice was clipped and sarcastic, but a slight smirk plays on my lips. "It's Arcee's ride. She let me borrow it."

Jack gave a distracted, 'uh-huh' as he moved to ogle Arcee more, obviously entranced. "So," he added offhandedly. "You plan on spending the night?"

Ever since I was little, I would stay over at Jack's frequently, more so in recent years. As a child, it was an extended play-date with a friend type deal. Now… its my way of escape when I needed a break from the team. But I found myself needing an escape more often as of late…

"I was wondering if I could stay a few days," I asked in a quiet voice, standing awkwardly to the side and loosely cradling my arms to my chest.

His head snapped up from his inspection. "Uh oh. What did you and your dad fight over this time?"

"We didn't fight." My throat tightened, and my gaze falls to the ground, my long and loose hair shifting to cover my face. The sharp ache returned to my chest as I spoke again. "Cliff's dead."

No sooner had I said it when I felt a pair of arms wrap me tightly in a hug. "Oh, Ev… I am _so_ sorry." He pulled back slightly to look at me. "I really don't know what to say." As far as Jack knew, Cliffjumper had been a member of my dad's unit, along with Arcee and the others. I simply used their real names, saying that they were codenames. My dad's cover was that he led an elite special ops unit, hence why he could never officially meet Jack or Jack's mom. My godfather usually acted as my go between the normal world and that of my Cybertronian family.

So, to outside world, I was not Everon Prime, daughter of the infamous Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, but I was Ever Prowl, daughter of Orion Prowl and further known as the military brat with an attitude problem that grew as the years went by. Fowler had shortened my name to Ever on the documentation, saying the other was too uncommon for humans and might draw the Con's attention were I to try and name myself "Everon _Prime_." The Prowl part apparently came from the name of an old friend of my father's.

He doesn't like to go into detail about him….

In a soft voice, I asked, "Maybe that I can stay the night?"

Hugging me again, he firmly responded, "Ev, you know you don't even have to ask me that. My mom and I love having you over." Then, moving to look at my face, he added with a slight grin, "It's not like you haven't already moved into our guest room."

I gave an amused snort, thinking of the closet and the guest bathroom that had accumulated a large portion of my stuff over the years. It wasn't an understatement to say I practically lived there. "I should just start paying you and your mom a renter's fee."

"As if she would accept it," he responded while throwing an arm around my shoulder. "I, on the other hand, might need to start charging… I mean, I do put up with you quite a bit—OW."

Smirking as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm from my punch, I respond, "If anyone pays anything for putting up with someone, you would probably be paying _me_."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that." His gaze then shifts back to Arcee. "_Please_ tell me I can ride her."

My smirk growing into an amused grin, I responded, "Arcee would flay me alive if I were to let you try."

"Aww, c'mon!" he pleaded, moving to her side. "Just one test run?" Before I could protest, he swung a leg over her and plopped down. "I mean, could you imagine—"

"Jack," I warned. "Off. _Now_."

He ignored me and began to look Arcee over from his seated position. "Just look at her, Ev! She's perfect!"

Sighing in frustration, I moved forward, intent to pull him off if need be. "Jackson Darby—" That's when I froze, staring past my brother to the main rode. "Oh frag."

Still distracted, Jack merely muttered a, 'huh' in response, while I remained still, staring at the familiar vehicles. The ones that drove by, only to reverse direction and come back when they saw Arcee and I.

I don't know if they recognized her or me, but either way, I knew the end result would be far from good.

Darting forward, I hopped on the bike behind Jack. "Wait, are we going on a—"

"Hold on!" I yelled. Before he could respond, Arcee was lifting back onto her back tire and twisting around, causing Jack to scream in response. "This is _so_ not my day…."

Taking off towards the pair of Vehicons, Arcee drove straight between them, intent on putting as much distance as possible between us and the Cons. As we drove between them, I took note of their generic color scheme, a familiar black with purple edgings, all on a common sports car frame.

Focusing my attention back to the matter at hand, I better adjusted my grip on Jack's waist, who in turn I could see keeping a death grip on Arcee's handlebars. All while screaming. Very loudly. And giving me a headache.

Taking a sharp turn, Arcee ordered, "Do _not_ let go! I am in _no_ mood to explain injuries to Optimus today!"

"Who said that?!" Jack screamed while I mentally sighed.

"Jack, Arcee. Arcee, Jack," I responded sarcastically. "Now, will you quit screaming?!"

Sadly, the screaming did not stop, because with our tails catching up to us, Arcee began to go faster, taking sharper turns to try and lose them. "Ev!" Jack yelled. "What is going on?!"

"Later, Jack!"

"But—"

"PRIMUS. I SAID, _LATER_."

As I shouted at him, the Cons pull up to flank either side of us. Realizing what was happening, I yelled, "Arcee, brakes!" She in turn slowed for a second, falling back and narrowly missing the Cons attempt to smash us from both sides. The result was the pair ramming into each other, making them fall back in disorientation. While they regained their speed from colliding with each other, Arcee sped back down their middle and ahead of their pursuit.

At this point, Arcee had gained enough ground to swerve into an alley and skid to a stop. No sooner had she done this was Jack scrambling off, yanking me along with him. "C'mon, Ev!"

"No." He suddenly stopped, and as he turned to look at me, I lightly pulled my arm from his grip. "I'm staying. You need to _go_."

With a look that suggested I'm crazy, he announced, "Oh, no. No, I am _not _leaving you here with the demon bike—"

"'Demon bike' can hear you."

Arcee. His eyes grew wide at the sound of her voice, and I dropped my face into my palm. "Seriously?" I groaned. "_Must_ you freak him out more?"

"It… it talked…" Jack stuttered. "It—"

"Look!" Arcee snapped. "We don't have time for this!" Angling her bike form towards him, she slowly drove forward. "If you want to 'protect' her, then get out of here, and let me get her to safety."

He looked between Arcee and I, obviously still unconvinced. "Go," I coaxed. "I'll be fine, I promise." Hesitant, he gave a nod before taking off, sparing us one last glance before turning a corner down a side alley. Releasing a sigh, I moved to Arcee, quickly hopping on her bike form. "I'm gonna have to tell him."

"Later." At that moment, the Vehicons turned into our alley, and Arcee growled, "Scrap." With that, she takes off down the alley, intent on getting away from the Cons. At least, until we see one veer off down a side alley.

The alley Jack went down.

"Arcee!" I yelled worriedly.

She merely groaned, skidding to where she turned in place, before taking off down the alley towards the one Con remaining in pursuit. Kicking up off the ground, she drove over the Vehicon before hitting the ground behind him, taking off after its partner and my brother.

Once we gained ground on the car pursuing Jack, I could hear him shout pleas of his not knowing Arcee to the relentless trooper as he ran away from it. Arcee jumped this car just as she did with the last, landing to pull up alongside Jack. "Hop on!" She ordered him as I offered my arm, and he grasped it before awkwardly swinging on behind me. And once again, Arcee sped up, and we took off down the street with the Cons still on our tail.

And Jack still screaming at each turn.

Soon, our pursuit found its way onto the open highway, but to make matters worse, the Cons decided that it was time to bring out the big guns. Literally. How we didn't make the news, I still don't understand. You think _someone_ would have caught two cars with built in laser guns shooting at a speeding motorcycle on camera. Our team tends to have a _lot_ of dumb luck sometimes.

As Arcee curved with the rode, Jack leaned forward as best he could to yell in my ear, not quite grasping that he didn't need to yell to be understandable. "Why are those guys shooting at us?!"

As I winced from the sudden yelling, Arcee announced, "There's no us kid. And those are no guys." By this point, Arcee had begun to dangerously weave in and out of traffic, trying to distance herself from the Cons who miraculously managed to stay on her tail, occasionally clipping an unfortunate civilian vehicle.

Worry lacing my voice, I say to Arcee, "We should get out of this traffic! Someone's gonna get hurt!"

"Right now, Ev," Arcee states as she dodges through another set of cars. "You're my only priority. The humans can watch themselves."

Growling, I snapped, "You can't possibly expect them to—" My attention was captured by a familiar sound behind us. Whipping my head around, I looked as the hum grew louder, eventually gaining a form to match the sound. "Well, the cavalry has finally arrived."

Crashing sounds of metal against metal could be heard behind us as my head turned back round in front of us. I don't need to be told what was causing the sounds, the dangerous dance between the Vehicon pair and our young scout dancing through my head. Images of the bright yellow and pitch black Urbana expertly besting the two soldiers flashed through my mind till I heard the tell-tale signs of vehicles falling back, followed by the sound of his engine growing closer as he sped to catch up.

Speaking in my ear yet again, but this time at a more manageable level, Jack asked, "Friend of yours?"

You could practically hear the smirk in Arcee's voice as she simply stated, "Family." I couldn't help but smirk along with her. The crashing behind us continues, and I glanced back just in time to see Bee fall back behind the Cons, them resuming their previous lead on catching up to us. "Frag."

Kicking it up a notch, Arcee continued weaving while my irritable growl returned. "Arcee, I don't give a frag about what happens to me. Just get off this road and away from the civilians, _now_!"

"You want captured by the Decepticons?" she snapped back. "_Fine_!" With that, she suddenly jerked to the side, driving along an off ramp, one that had yet to be completed. Reaching the end of the road, instead of stopping, she merely sped up, letting herself jump the guardrails and free fall to the ground below.

Let's just say, Jack had resumed his screaming by this point.

Her touching down to the ground below had been near flawless, a feat that wouldn't have been possible on any normal motorcycle. But she was far from normal, I thought as she skidded to a stop, letting her back tire pivot round as she finally halted her built up momentum. Jack's death grip refused to let up from my waist as he practically panted, adrenaline pumping through his system.

I slowly sat up straight, looking back over my shoulder at him as my fingers lightly gripped his tense wrists. "You okay?"

A gasp of breath. "I… I think so…"

Lightly smiling at him, I asked, "Then would you mind letting up so I can breathe?..." His gaze darted down to his stiffly locked arms, and he released me, leaning back lightly as he clutched his spinning head.

"Whoa."

Both of our gazes darted to the side to see a young boy standing there, staring at us in awe as he loosely clutched a remote control of some kind in his hands. My eyes widened in shock much like the boy's eyes were wide behind his large, boxy glasses, and Jack merely responded for me as I looked on, slack jawed. "You have no idea."

Shaking off the momentary shock, I moved to get off of Arcee quickly. "C'mon Jack! I need to get you and the kid out of—" Car engines suddenly roared to life overhead, and I looked up just in time to hear the accompaniment of shifting metal, followed by the sound of a large boom from two figures landing on the ground before us. "Oh, why me…"

The two Vehicons, now in their bipedal forms, slowly stood taller, the deep purple color standing out on their tall shoulders while the rest of their frames held mostly a mixture of interchanging black and silver chrome pieces. Blank faces stared to us, a generic faceplate with full width red optics staring back at us.

Realizing that there was no longer a use of trying to remain 'covert,' Arcee allowed herself to follow the Vehicons lead, shifting to her bipedal form just as I yanked the shell-shocked Jack off of her. "This ends here, Cons!" she exclaimed, and then darted forward into the fray.

Jack and the boy didn't seem to know what to make of what had unfolded before them, so with a roll of my eyes, I took it upon myself to grab them both by the shoulders and shove them to the side, sprinting alongside them both as they seemed to catch on to my intent.

Turning my gaze back to the fight as we reached the edge of the drainage underpass we had ended up in, I could hear Jack talk to the boy numbly, while the boy's voice was certainly one of awe. "What are they?" The boy asked as we all watched on.

Arcee leaped up into the air as the Con charged forward, one powerful kick shooting out and hitting the Vehicon square in the underside of the jaw. "Talking cars that turn into robots…" Jack responded, his voice unsure. The femme landed in a perfect crouch before darting forward again towards the enemy. "Or the other way around…"

My eyes flickered to him for a second, but then they were pulled back to the fight, eagerly drinking in Arcee's graceful and fluid movements. Whereas the Vehicons movements were stiffer, more stereotypical fight maneuvers that had been drilled into them. They weren't trained to be warriors, merely soldiers.

Finally, the familiar hum came to the foreground, and soon, Bumblebee went flying through the air, shifting mid jump and landing in a perfect runner's crouch on the ground. But, as he made his showmanship level entrance, my attention had been pulled from Arcee who I then heard cry out in pain. As Bee charged the two Cons, my gaze turned to Arcee who had mild singes along her chassis, a light bit of steam rising up.

"Arcee!" I screamed and moved to rush towards her, only to have a pair of arms lock tightly about my waist.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Jack cried out as he firmly held my struggling form. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Grunting and twisting, I snapped, "Let go of me, Darby!"

"Oh, no!" he snapped back. "You are _not_ getting involved in that! What help could you be anyway?"

My head whipped around to glare at him, he not knowing how much that comment truly upset me.

Realizing that even if I did break away from Jack's grip, which I could have easily, I would not be of much help as he had said, I stopped struggling and simply turned my glower back to the fight. He hesitantly let me go, and the young boy nervously inched between us, his attention teetering from fear to awe at the sight before us.

Bumblebee, though relatively young for a Cybertronian, certainly knew how to roll with the punches. He expertly dodged and evaded the enemies' blows, and matched each of their misses with a direct contact from him. But, his fighting technique, a sort of boxer's style with him bouncing on his pedes leaning side to side when dodging, also had the downside of him moving back away from the more aggressive opponents.

Eventually, with one opponent working to get off the ground, the other swung forward, Bee dodging to the side before catching the Vehicon with an expertly placed uppercut. The Con went down, falling backwards with a loud crash, and Bee moved his leg back yet again to retake his stance.

That's when we all heard a distinctive crunch.

Lifting his foot to check the bottom of his pede, the scout made a low and abashed sounding whir upon the discovery of the young boy's toy car crushed and stuck to him, little bits falling off as his strange optics zoomed in then out in their usual, mechanical manner. He looked to the boy in an apologetic manner, but before he could bleep anything, the boy cut him off. "It's no problem. Really!" I couldn't help sparing the boy a small glance and a smirk, which he returned with a smile to Bee and then me.

In the split second that I had turned to look at the boy, the Vehicons had apparently recovered, standing up and one taking off a shot. My attention whipped back around to the fight just in time to see Bee fly through the air, faint trails of smoke on his chassis from where the blast had hit its mark. He landed very ungracefully on the ground, crumpling in a pile with his face in the cement. Trying to push up off the ground, he was prevented by a large pede stepping on his head and forcing him back down.

Withdrawing a blaster, the Con responsible stood tall and resolute over the scout, the sound of his canon powering up as he slowly took aim. Only, the shot was never fired, interrupted by an unexpected voice.

"_Leave him alone!_"

All eyes and optics turned to the source of the voice, the young boy to my left. He nervously messed with his spiky, dark sand colored hair as he nervously asked to the hard stares of the Cons, "Please?"

The Con, who had his blaster aimed at Bee, raised his canon suddenly, taking aim at us, and out of instinct, I stepped forward to push the boy behind me. I sent a hard glare towards the Cons, my hair beginning to fall slightly in my face. That's when the partner seemed to double take, looking between me and the other who was about to take the shot before shoving our would-be exterminator's arm down.

"It's _her_."

My strong stance faltered a bit, realizing what was going on. I had hoped that they wouldn't recognize me, seeing as how the Decepticon drones were prone to not being able to decipher between human individuals. It had been years since they have seen me, but apparently, I was not so fortunate. The Vehicon who initially recognized me moved forward, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground as he walked. I immediately knew his intentions and panicked.

Grabbing Jack's upper arm and the young boy's wrist, I pulled them harshly while running to the side. "Come on! Move it!" They stumbled along behind me, struggling to keep up as I yanked them along, all while the Decepticon pursued us.

Given little options for hiding, I spot an open drainage pipe, one with a diameter that was twice as long as I am tall. "In there, _now_!" I shoved them both ahead of me, Jack climbing up into the pipe while I lifted up the small boy in one fluid swing and practically threw him into Jack's arms. Then, as I pull myself up into the pipe, I bark out, "Keep moving! Go on!"

We began to race into the pipe just as the Con reached us, his arm suddenly extending done after us. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I feel his sharp servos graze lightly down my back, his touch harsher than he probably meant to in his desperate attempt to grab me. Warmth began to seep slowly down my back as I tripped and fell, one hand shooting forward to cushion the fall while the other grasped the fresh cut along my shoulder and the crook of my neck.

Rolling over onto my rear, I gripped tighter on the wound as I felt my eyes widen in shock at the large servo reaching for me. Jack's voice called out my name from just behind me, but the sound diminished under the loud crashing coming from the pipe's opening as the arm swiftly retracted away.

Light spilled in the tunnel as I sat there panting, Jack crouching next to me and the boy huddled behind me while the crashing of metal against metal continued on outside the pipe. Eventually, the sounds ceased, and a familiar face popped up into the pipe's entrance.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I managed to speak with a lightly amused tone and a small smirk on my face. "Thanks for the save, Bee."

Concern radiated off the young scout as his optics whirred in and out. **Are you all okay? Evy, are you bleeding?**

"We're fine," I responded. "And it's just a scratch. I can patch it back at Jack's house." Bumblebee looked unconvinced, but I gave him a look. "Just finish up with the Cons while I get these two home, okay? Don't worry about me."

Still hesitant, Bee gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to me. Seeing as how by species standards Bee and I were practically the same age, he was probably the only one on the team who would have went along with my insistence that I was fine, a fact which I was grateful for, especially now.

As Jack helped me to stand, the boy ducked around me to the young Autobot and said a simple, "Thank you," slight admiration showing in his words. Bee, in return, bleeped a 'no problem' to the boy before disappearing from the tunnel opening.

Still clutching the wound which had begun to stop bleeding, I look to Jack and say, "So, on a scale from minor scrape to horror film victim, what level would you place me on right now?" My trademark Cheshire grin grew on my face, something that unnerved most people and helped when I was trying to change the subject. "Cause I need to know if I'm gonna get panicked frenzies if I walk out in public."

Unfortunately, Jack had always been one of the few I had trouble changing the subject on. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Sighing in exasperation, I glared at him and said, "Gee, aren't you one for the obvious!" I flung my arms out to the side as I spoke, movement that jarred my shoulder wound and caused me to wince as my hand shot up to clutch it again. Casting my eyes down, I asked in a quiet voice, "Can it wait for tomorrow? Please?"

Jack seemed hesitant, but the boy nudged him in the leg and gave him a smile, one that suggested that he was okay with the deal. In turn, Jack sighed and nodded to me, a stoic expression marking his face.

With that, I matched his nod and turned to guide them both away from the fight that had resumed just outside of our tunnel.

* * *

_ "Why can't I remember you?" Everon asked, keeping her eyes locked on the shadowy figure knelt before her._

_ Large, inky black wings, ones dripping in the shadows as the fall to coil about the figure before vanishing, twitched and flexed against her back as she cooed in response to the question. "My dear, it's only a precaution."_

_ Everon eyed the figure skeptically. "A precaution? A precaution for what! Why wipe my memories only to revive them the next time I sleep?" She strode forward to the figure, staring her down, silver eyes meeting glowing, silver optics. "Tell me, _now!_"_

_ With a feral glint to her optics, the figure casually responded, her voice sickly sweet yet darker undertones making it almost seductive in nature. "Because, little one, I like my secrets. And, the only other way to ensure my secrets are kept, is not as favorable." Shifting to stand, the tall, imposing figure, one that easily could be four times Everon's height, stared down at the young girl._

_ "Remember, two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."_

_ And with that, she swiped her wing at the girl, destroying Everon's weak grasp within this realm of the Nothingness._

* * *

Slamming my locker shut, I groaned, leaning forward to let my head make a hollow thunk against the metal. Between the stress from yesterday, both Jack and the Raf kid's discovery of my 'family' and Cliff's death, not to mention my wound and the dull ache that still pulsed in my chest… Anyone who truly grasped what I was going through would understand why I was in such a foul mood.

That, and the fact that I had another nightmare last night.

At least, I believed they were nightmares. It would be nice if I could actually _remember_ what happened in my dreams. But, as for most of my life, I merely wake up, exhausted, with a vague understanding that I _did_ dream, but absolutely no clue as to what I dreamed. Needless to say, it could be quite….annoying.

Thus contributing to my foul mood for the day. Now, the school day had ended, and I felt dread build up in my stomach. The knowledge of the impending conversation with Raf and Jack… I would have to tell them everything. Everything that I had spent my life hiding, about my life. My _real_ life. Mind spinning, I couldn't help but think over what their reactions will be, over what they would think.

Trudging down the near empty hall along with the other stragglers, I felt the pit in my stomach grow. School had been out for a while, but since my foul mood had earned me a detention had earned me a detention, my leaving had been delayed. Which, of course, delayed my confrontation with the two, but sitting in the detention hall with nothing to do only built upon my growing anxiety.

"Hey, Ev." Eyes darting up from their fixed position on the floor, I finally noticed Jack standing by the school's exit. He nervously shifted from foot to foot, all while I awkwardly stood fixed in place, a mere ten feet away. I knew I should move, but the pit in my stomach grew and kept me frozen.

Keep your secrets.

Don't let anyone know who you are.

They won't understand; it's not safe.

You can't tell anyone. Not even Jack.

Not even your brother.

"So…" he cautiously drawled, his normal habit of running his fingers through his hair when he felt uncomfortable kicking in.

In this moment, I realized how young he truly was, and that realization led to me realizing how young _I_ truly was. I'm sixteen. _Sixteen_. I should be stressing over boys, over prom, over insignificant little things that epitomize the average American teenager. I shouldn't have to be having panic attacks over keeping my family's origins, my family's purpose a secret.

I shouldn't be so scared to talk to my brother.

"So…" I countered. We both shuffled in place, and my eyes darted to the doorway. I could run. I could leave as I always had dreamed of silently, unbeknownst to the others. They had their suspicions, but I would never leave, right? I would never leave my family, the cause I had dedicated myself to. I would never leave Cliff… But then again, it turned out that Cliff was the one who left me.

"I think Raf is waiting outside," Jack stated, his tone suggesting us moving. He wanted to get this conversation over with. Part of me couldn't help but agree with him.

"Okay…" I numbly responded, my thoughts drifting back to Cliff, and as I shuffled out the school's exit, my thoughts vaguely registered the pain in my chest pulsing yet again. I should see Ratchet later, but I knew then as I do now that I would never approach him with this. To the Pit with my stubbornness.

Jack trailed after me as I moved down the stairs, rushing and not really paying attention to anything. I suddenly stopped right on the edge of the curb, my arms locked tightly around my chest, shoulders tense and slightly hunched. Though it appeared as if I were nervous, which was a contributing factor, the main reason for the odd behavior had been me attempting to suppress the dull ache in my chest and will it away.

A hand grasped my shoulder, and I could barely suppress a nervous jump. Jack, who held a worried look in his earthy brown eyes, nodded his head off to the side, diverting my gaze to the small boy, Rafael Esquival, as he excitedly waved his arm through the air at us.

Stealing away my nerves, I dropped my arms and made my way towards the boy, Jack walking next to me like some sort of body guard, his movements suggesting he was prepared to chase me if I ran or catch me if I fell.

I honestly couldn't tell which would be a more likely scenario at the moment.

Approaching Raf, I began to apologize to the boy, saying, "I am _so_ sorry. I got stuck in—"

"Detention." They both had responded, Raf sounding accepting, and Jack slightly exasperated.

"Is the detention thing going to become a habit with you?" Jack asked as he crossed his arms and gave me a disapproving look.

"It is not becoming a _thing_," I countered, sending him a light glare. "It's not _my _fault that the teachers get upset easily."

"Well…" Raf had nervously began. "You _did_ throw a pencil sharpener at Mr. Pastelli's head…"

My eyes widened as Jack yelled, "She did _what?_"

Raf looked quickly back and forth between the two of us. "I thought everyone already knew! It was spreading around the school like all day today."

With a dumbfounded look, Jack started to question me before I cut him off. "Oh, calm down! I didn't throw a fragging _pencil sharpener_ at his head." Jack seemed to slightly calm down at that, but then I added, "It may or may not have been a pencil… but there is no way it hurt _that_ much." Shrugging at my shell-shocked friend, I casually add, "He was overreacting about the situation in my opinion."

"Ev…"

"Jack…"

"Umm… guys?" jack and I look down to Raf who hesitantly continues to speak. "I don't really think that Ev's detention is what we should be talking about right now…"

My whole body went tense, and from the look in Jack's eyes, he definitely noticed. Taking a deep breath, I just gave into my unavoidable fate and steeled myself to tell them the truth. I crossed my arms over my chest and moved to speak, but my voice was cut off.

Looking off to the side, I spotted the source of the car horn that had saved me from having to figure out the best way to explain my family to the two. A few dozen feet away, idling on the curb, was a familiar yellow and black Urbana. A smirk graced my lips as I muttered, "Well, they always have had _lovely_ timing."

Jack's eyes went wide. "Oh no, that's one of them."

Rolling my eyes at my brother, I moved to stride to the car. Turning my body to where I was facing both Jack and Raf, who stood still and shocked under the tree, I slowly paced backwards as I spoke. "Don't have a spaz attack, Jack." Spinning back around, grinning, I added, "Bee is a good friend."

Approaching the car, Bumblebee's signature beeping and whirring sound comes forth. **I'm driving the boy back to base. Optimus wants to speak with them. **As if to prove his point, he pops open one his side doors, it sliding up to reveal his black leather interior.

I raised a brow to the car, planting a hand on one hip and jutting it to the side as I heard Jack and Raf approach from behind. "Uh huh. And how am Jack and I supposed to get back?"

**Well, you walked right past your ride.**

My brows scrunch together as Raf moved to cling to my hip, looking round in awe of the car before him. Jack, though, was the one to speak first. "What does it want? Does it want us to actually get _in_?"

"Nope," was my simple response, my voice stressing on the 'p' sound as I stared in confusion at the scout.

"Just me." My confusion only deepened as I looked down at the boy who slowly made his way from clinging to my side to stand in front of me. Not once did he move his eyes from Bee. Jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, he stated, "Your ride is over there."

Jack and I turned around, and there sat Arcee, parked right in front of the school's exit. "Well, frag. How'd I miss her?"

Jack's voice was a bit upset mixed with a strong hesitancy. "Oh no. No, we are _not_ riding with either of—" We had just begun to turn back around to see Raf excitedly crawling into Bee's passenger seat, not the slightest bit worried or upset. "Raf, don't!" But it was too late. Bee's door slid closed, and he sped off before Jack could make any more of a protest.

Jack spun to face me, slack jawed and looking at me as if I were insane for letting this happen. "Hey, don't give me that look!" I snapped. "I have no control over what they do." He looked like he was going to yell, but his gaze drifted over my shoulder and settled on a something behind me.

I tilted my head over my shoulder, seeing that Arcee had shifted her parked position to be angled towards us, obvious impatience and irritation laced behind the move. Sending her a quick smirk, I turned back around with the intent of asking what position Jack wanted to ride in. That's when I saw him a few dozen feet down the sidewalk, tense and aggravated steps quickly carrying away from Arcee and I. "Slag it, Jack!" I started to run after him. "Jackson Darby, get back here!"

He never slowed, just continued to walk away, following his usual route home. Eventually, I ended up jogging beside him, he ignoring me as he turned down an alley. By this point, my irritation had grown to match his levels, and I roughly grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to stop and look at me. "What is your _problem_?" I snapped.

His glare matched mine, his gaze looked on mine as we stood but a foot apart. "My _problem_?!" His arm jabbed past my head, his finger pointing behind me. "That _thing_ is my problem!"

A snort came from behind, and I looked back to see Arcee idling there, Sadie, her holoform that was clad head to toe in black leather and a full cover helmet, perched in her rider's position. "Relax," Arcee drawled, her voice masking the irritation I knew she must have been feeling. "I just want to talk."

He gave a sound of disbelief. "Don't you mean you and your new friend?"

Arcee sighed in response to his sarcasm, and then she deactivated her holoform and edged forward a bit, causing him to go slack-jawed yet again. "You know," I started. "It's a wonder you don't catch flies with how often you let your jaw hang like that." This earned a pointed glare from my brother, and a sigh from me in response. "Look, Jack—"

Jack backed away from her and me, raising his hands in surrender as he spoke. "Look, I get it. First rule about robot fight club is you don't talk about robot fight club." The more he edged away, the more she edged forward, making him progressively more uncomfortable. I moved to block her just as he started to turn away from us and continue down the alley. "What _you_ need to understand is that I don't _want_ a bunch of crazy talking vehicles following me around trying to get me killed!"

My spark grew heavy at his angry words, but I chose to remain silent and still. Arcee took this as a cue to take the lead on talking with Jack. Shifting to her bipedal form, she remained in a crouch as she spoke to him. "Look," she started irritably. "Jack, is it?" He turned back around to face her as she continued. "Your safety is _exactly_ why Optimus Prime has requested your presence."

His eyes lit up at the mention of my father. "Wait, who?" His gaze darted to me before back to her. "And what _exactly_ do you robots have to do with Ev?" Realization dawned on him. "This involves Ev's father… doesn't it?

She rolled her optics before snippily responding. "Well, aren't you a genius." Turning serious again, she asked, "So, does this mean you are willing to come?"

Hesitance returned to Jack's face, and watching him and thinking back on this, I am not entirely sure _what_ I had hoped he would say. I'm not entirely sure _what_ would have been better for him in the long run. All I know is was that when the next voice spoke up, we all felt like groaning in exasperation.

"Dude, what are you waiting for?!" All eyes turned to settle on the wild looking Japanese girl standing off to the side. Her traditionally black hair had been streaked with bright pink, then style into two puffs on her head and a long braid down her back. Her outfit consisted of Japanese street-themed fashion: a mix of random colors such as her blue overalls with a green cutesy monster on the front, a pink t-shirt under that, black clump boots, and a bright yellow belt with two stuffed animals hanging from the side. That with her multiple studs and bracelets completed the wild child look of our resident… well, our resident wild child. "Go with!"

The only sound in the silent alley was my face hitting the palm of my hand.

* * *

Racing down the long, desert highway, I grasped Arcee's handlebars as she sped along, not nearly as fast as she was last time. Jack sat behind me, his arms latched around my waist as he spoke into my ear. "Did we _have_ to take her?"

My gaze travels to the vehicle in front of us, watching as Miko, the Japanese wild child, stuck her head out of the sunroof and happily screeched in delight. Poor Bumblebee could be heard nervously bleeping to her to stop or be more careful. I had a hunch that she didn't hear or comprehend what he had been saying at the time.

Looking back to Jack, I responded, "Rules."

Besides Miko's pleas of joy, the rest of the ride had been very uneventful. That is, until we reached the base.

Driving up to the massive mesa, the road ahead of us could be seen splitting into two opposite directions, our current direction leading straight into the mesa wall. But, unlike most drivers, the bots didn't slow. And the humans seemed to notice this. "Umm… Ev?" Jack nervously whispered in my ear. "Ev?!"

"Stop worrying, Darby," I responded with a grin. "This is the best part."

Before he could yell about our rapid place off the main road and towards the mesa, the ground shook ever so slightly, and the doors in the mesa's side slowly slid open. Bee and Arcee continued on inside, never once slowly their pace.

I could hear the awe from Jack as we drove through the base's entrance tunnel, but when we finally entered the main room was when he and the others were truly amazed. Ratchet stood at his computer station, turning to acknowledge our entrance as Bee and Arcee deposited their charges. As we exited our respective vehicles, Ratchet moved to stand beside Bulk, who had been watching our entrance from off to the side. "I thought there were two," Ratchet irritatedly questioned.

Arcee shifted and sarcastically responded, "Haven't you heard? Humans multiply."

"I'm Raf," the young boy standing next to me offered to the group.

Then, the overly excited last minute addition to our growing collection of humans announced "And I'm Miko!" Miko, however, had already been sprinting away before either Bee or Arcee could finish shifting back to their bipedal form. Zipping straight up to Bulkhead her curiosity came through immediately. "Who are you?"

The nervous giant offered an almost unsure response. "Bulkhead…"

"Are you a car? I bet you're a truck! A monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever you a wrecking ball as a punching bag?" By the look on Bulk's face, I knew that he was completely and utterly lost as to what to say. I caught his gaze and mouthed a sorry in his direction. It didn't help the apprehensive look his face though. Not that I could blame him at the moment.

Raf decided to inject at this moment, cutting Miko's interrogation short. "So, if you guys are robots, who made you?"

"Puh-lease," Ratchet scoffed to the young boy. Before he could continue, the sounds of heavy steps could be heard coming from behind us. I turned casually around as the others jumped and watched the approach of the final member of our team, each step shaking us slightly.

"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron," my father explained. His tall frame towered above us all, making quite impression on the others.

I strode over to the metal staircase that led up to the human friendly platforms of the base. "A.K.A., the Autobots."

Stepping forward, Jack asked, "Why are you here?"

Though his voice was steady, my father gave a quick glance to me before speaking. "To protect your planet from the Decepticons." By this point, I had reached the platform and had leaned forward against the railing, watching as the others craned their necks to look up at Optimus.

Jack presses further by asking, "Okay, why are they here?"

Yet another glance to me before my father kneeled down to the others' level in order to speak to them more efficiently. "A fair question Jack. In part because our planet is uninhabitable. Ravaged by centuries of civil war."

Raf interjected, curiosity shining in his eyes. "Why were you fighting a war?"

"Foremost," the Prime began. "Over our world's supply of energon, the fuel and lifeblood of all Autobots and Decepticons alike." He looked off to the side, a faraway look to his optics as he recalled the earlier days of the war. It's moments like these that make me wish that he and I were closer. Then I might be able to help him somehow… "The combat was fierce and endured for centuries. In the beginning, I fought alongside one who I considered a brother. But in war, ideals can be corrupted, and it was thus that Megatron had lost his way."

"Is there gonna be a pop quiz?" All optics and eyes turned towards the Japanese girl beside Jack. Honestly, I wasn't at all surprised that she could manage to make such a serious moment disappear so quickly.

Jack shook his head as if in a way that said he wasn't going to bother with responding to her. Looking back to Optimus, he asked, "So, what does Megatron, or any of this, have to do with us?"

Speaking up, I announced, "We haven't heard from Megatron in a while." As all of their gazes turn to me, I suddenly shift my attention to my hair, running my fingers through it as if it were more important. In reality, I was simply uncomfortable with the topic. "If he _is_ back, well…" My silver eyes lift up to gaze down at the three humans before moving to lock with my father's optics, worry shining through his.

"…Things are not gonna end well."

* * *

**So, I hope you are liking this thus far~! Please review and tell me what you think!**


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